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Developing A first Person
Using first-person interaction, we as Civil War reenactors recreate the daily activities, thoughts, and behavior of real or composite historical people. Presentations may be spontaneous or built around specific events, themes, or planned scenarios. When first-person is responsibly presented, it strives to achieve accuracy in many facets of a historical culture as research, site constraints, and other modern conventions permit. The interpreter behaves in a fashion that evokes, as closely as possible, the behavior, folkways, customs, beliefs, activities, language, food, religion, technology, dress, deportment, and contemporary perspective of the past peoples they represent. By assuming this historical persona, you as a reenactor humanize this complex information while performing tasks, activities, or scenes that are within the context of the everyday life of a soldier serving in the Union Army during the Civil War.
First-person interpretation must strive to be given within the limits of the document historical facts. As in all other types of living history presentations, you must stay within your given boundaries with regard to presenting to the public an historical accurate interpretation, to the best of your ability.
To accomplish an effective first-person interaction with visitors, consider incorporating the following suggestions into your presentations:
- Set the stage. To do this you can use a written handout, a sign outside the camp area, or have a third-person interpreter. (A guide on a candle light tour through your camp.)
- Break the Ice. This form of introduction is a way to tell a spectator they are welcome to participate. Remember the best type of ice breaker should be a subject that a visitor can easily relate to. This could be a comment about the weather, food, about the visitor being new to a camp, asking for assistance with a task or problem. You are inviting people to participate in a unique experience. However you break the ice remember, BE FRIENDLY!
- Litter your conversation with bait for the visitor. Say some things that may grab their attention and interest and draw them into a conversation. Examples may include, “Have you heard if the paymaster has arrived yet? I need to get paid soon so I can to get money back home to Indiana.” Or, “Have you seen the first-sergeant? His is hard to miss, as he is tall, skinny and likes to yell a lot.”
- Team up with other unit members. Playing games of cards, polishing brass, cooking, or singing period songs are all inviting activities that may lure your visitors into your area and elicit questions. Involve your visitor. Let them polish a button or teach them a verse to a song. Remember the “Spangler Rule”, touching is teaching.
- Learn the language. Mid-nineteenth century soldiers did not talk like we talk today. Read period writings. Learn the slang. (There are terms and slang listed below to help you get started.)
- Learn period songs. Music and song played a large part in the soldier’s lives. Nothing sounds better than soldiers sitting around singing period songs.
Provoke the visitor’s desire to learn more. If they ask you to recommend a book to read, a battlefield to visit, or movies to rent, then congratulations, you have succeeded!
Getting Down To Business With First-Person
The following is an outline that will help you to stimulate your thinking as you develop or expand your first-person persona. Use what you want from the list. However, the more detailed your background the more believable your character. It is strongly recommended that you refer to the suggested reading list to help you create and develop your persona. Remember researching and incorporating your findings into your persona helps you become a better interpreter. The following information should help you develop your persona for a soldier serving in the 19th Unite States Infantry during the Civil War:
- Who served in the 19th U.S.? - Those men that joined the 19th U.S. were, for the most part civilians, while some were veterans with previous army experience, that was the exception and not the rule. In addition, a few NCO’s and officers were transferred from the ‘old army’ to the ‘new army’ regiments. Those who joined the Regulars typically did so because the discipline and high-standards attracted them. Others joined because the volunteer regiments filled up and the local quotas were already met. Many immigrants joined the Regulars. Foreigners made up up between 50 and 60 percent of the Regular army. There were heavy concentrations of German and Irish soldiers. The following is a breakdown of typical occupations of Union soldiers before the war:
- Farmers - 48%
- Mechanics - 24%
- Laborers - 16%
- Commercial Pursuits - 5%
- Other - 4%
- Professionals - 3%
- Developing the details! - This list is meant to provide the reenactor with a variety of angles and depths of detail when it comes to developing a persona. Pick and choose from the list. It is recommended that you write it down. Start a notebook. Keep notes. Keep polishing. You will get asked questions that you will not be able to answer requiring you to go back and do more refining and research. If you can incorporate period looking documents into your persona, all the better. Pictures, letters, articles that relate to who you are. All of these are fantastic additions to your persona. Here are some places to start:
- Name and Name History - Is there a story behind your name?
- Birth date - Birth place - Immediate family - Where do they live? - What do they do?
- (Prepare a genealogy chart if that will help) - Extended family? Where are they at? What do they do?
- Do you get along with your family? Thoughts on you serving in the War? Their thoughts of you serving in the War? Disagreements about the War?
- Your education - Can you read, write, spell - Do you carry reading material? - Do you write a lot? - Do you get a lot of letters form home?
- Personal habits? - Can you cook well? - Can you sew? - Are you religious? - Has the War changed any of this?
- Travels? - Where have you been? - Are you foreign born? - What is life like in your former homeland?
- Who are your friends in the unit? Who are your enemies in the unit? What do you think of your NCOs? Officers? - Who are your commanders? (Company, Battalion, Regiment, Division, Wing, Army)
- What do you know about politics? - About the current politicians? - Do you care? - Has the War changed those thoughts?
- What are your thoughts on the Army? - Army life? - Thoughts on the War? - Why you are fighting? - Your thoughts on slavery? - Your thoughts on the Rebs?
- What possessions do you have? - What do you treasure? - What have you lost?
- What are your thoughts on the fighting? - Have you been in battles? - What happened to you? - What happened to your unit?
These tips should give you some good ideas on starting your first person persona. Remember, keep refining. Grow into it as you progress in the Civil War reenacting hobby. This aspect of living histories, when done well, can be incredibly rewarding to reenactors and visitors alike. (Some of this information provided by Mark Slover.)
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This is an example of part of a weapons display. Weapons are a popular topic at most Civil War living histories.
